


Homebound

by Kharasma



Category: Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Genre: Gen, Home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2013-12-18
Packaged: 2018-01-05 02:23:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1088471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kharasma/pseuds/Kharasma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the first time in their lives, Ralph and Vanellope have a place to call home. It's time to spread the wealth a little.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Homebound

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kol](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kol/gifts).



It was Vanellope’s first day serving as President of Sugar Rush, and already she adored the job. Characters in other games might be stuck stuffing their faces while circling a maze, punching out that same old guy again and again, or even slithering through slimy pipes...but she had the best, most thrilling job of all! She was a racer! And not just a racer, but the grand champion supreme. Or something like that. And after years of dreaming about finally hitting the track, flying along the roadway...the reality was just as cool as she always hoped it would be. For once, Vanellope hadn’t stopped smiling all day long, whether she won or lost (though let's be honest, she nearly always won).  
  
Then came the first roster race under her reign, a complete success. After a show-stopping skid to the finish, Vanellope pulled the racing goggles off of her head to see her subjects all the better. Taffyta was gloating about her second place finish which was ‘totally close’, Snowanna was yanking Minty Zaki out of the Nesquik sand, Rancis and Jubileena were swapping strategies for the next time, and she could see Candlehead polishing her ride, making the hood gleam for the next day’s races. All was well in the world, with not a gumdrop out of place...  
  
...except one to the side of the speedway, a gumdrop pinched experimentally between two massively oversized fingers. Those fingers belonged to a massive hand, which belonged to a hulking arm, which belonged to a familiar hulk of a bad guy.  
  
“...Ralph!” Vanellope shrieked, inadvertently kicking the gumdrop from her friend’s fingers as she warped up to cling to his neck. “You better not be sneaking out early. They're watching you, mister. Not one stinky toe out of line!”  
  
“Don't worry. Neither I nor my foot fungus has stepped out of line, ” the big guy said, airs of mock-annoyance fading to a smile as he wrapped a careful hand around his new best friend. “I wanted to get here as soon as the arcade closed, but Felix was having none of it. Said he had to serve me some good old-fashioned Nicelander pie---and speaking of, I brought you some,” he added, withdrawing a slice of apple pie from the folds of his pocket. By some miracle, it was still fresh---and though Vanellope sniffed it critically, it didn’t smell like Ralph.  
  
“I dunno if that's safe. But what the hey,” she shrugged as she bit into the slice, never one to be too picky about where her food came from. It was sweet, but somehow tangy too---and there was a gushy, not-too-sweet taste to it that didn’t quite compare to the candy-crusted food she’d always scrounged up in Sugar Rush. “Huh. Not\bad, Ralphie. Got any more?”  
  
“Unfortunately, not today. But I bet if you come to Niceland sometime they’ll make you any kind of pie you want. Felix keeps talking about inviting you and the Sarge over for dessert,” Ralph said, trying to picture their little group at the dinner table. What a sight.  
  
“Wait. Niceland's your game, right?” Not that it had sounded very nice from Ralph's description of his life, but it sounded like it was better now.  
  
“Yeah, Fix-it Felix Jr. It’s pretty safe. We can go any night you want. But I thought you might want to see the other places first,” Ralph suggested, working his way from a nonchalant ramble to a grin, as if he’d wanted to say those words for a while.  
  
“Other places? You mean like the rest of the arcade?"  
  
"Yup! There's lots to see. Bears with swords, zombie princesses, this place that has the really fizzy root beer. You'll love it," Ralph promised, and if he was any lighter Vanellope was sure he'd be bouncing on his toes.  
  
Vanellope had grinned right along with him at first, but her excitement fizzled out like one of those uncool flat root beers.. “But I don’t know if I can leave. I know it was because I was a glitch before, and now I’m not, but...”  
  
She warped over to his other shoulder to prove her point, sagging against his head. Even though it was under her complete control...what if that still counted as a glitch? What if the barrier sealed her in again?  
  
What if she could never see the outside world her new friends came from? Vanellope hopped back down to the ground, glancing down at the sugary track. Now that he’d mentioned the possibility of her exploring mysterious new places, the longing for adventure pulled at her code. Now that it seemed possible, she wanted it just as much as she’d wanted to race...but she knew what it felt like to be kept from her dream, and it could definitely happen again.  
  
Seeing this, Ralph knelt down, reaching to pat Vanellope’s shoulder with a finger. “You’re not a glitch. You’re the main star of this game! There’s no way you’re stuck here anymore,” he whispered, making a gesture to dismiss the ludicrous thought of her being stuck with his other hand. “And if by some bizarre freak coincidence it catches you, you know what? I’m staying. I'll be here every night and you can't stop me.”  
  
That caused Vanellope to glance up at him, disbelief clear on her face. "But why? You said so yourself. All the cool stuff out there! Root beer, bears, zombies...it's gotta be way more fun than little old me."  
  
"It's not," Ralph said simply. "You know why? 'Cause you're my best friend, kid. I didn't know what that meant before...but when I stepped out today, I knew I had to find you. I thought about going places, but I knew I had to grab you first."  
  
That prospect caught Vanellope’s attention. Her worries started to lose their sharp edge, but she still looked at Ralph doubtfully. “So you'd really stay? We're really best friends, huh?"  
  
“Promise,” was his confident answer. When Vanellope finally smiled and bounced back to his side. he rose to his feet and surveyed their surroundings. “Now why don’t you show me where the best candy’s at? We're gonna need snacks for the road.”  
  
“Sure thing!” Ralph’s request was what Vanellope had been waiting for. She gestured for Ralph to follow and nearly skipped down the roadway. “Gumdrops are okay, I guess, but I never really liked them. They make your jaw stick. Ice cream’s great, but it’ll melt, so you can’t really take it along.  So I’d go for the cupcakes. Maybe some chocolate bars, and a few lemon pops never hurt anybody. They sure make funny faces, though!”  
  
\---  
  
After a few minutes of hurried food-gathering, Ralph and Vanellope stood together at the archway that led to Sugar Rush’s exit plug. Vanellope hugged her little bag of sweets, taking a deep breath. “Just remember---if this doesn’t work, you promised to stay.”  
  
“Yeah, but it’s gonna work! Come on, Madam President. One small step for you, one big step for the citizens of Sugar Rush.”  
  
“...should I go back and get them? I don’t think they’ve been out of the game since King Candy took over.” Yeah, now that she thought about it...Taffyta could've told her about all the fun she was missing out on, but she never did. Were they all trapped? That was definitely over now, she decided right then.  
  
“I don't think you need to this time," Ralph suggested. "Come on. What kind of fearless leader would you be if you didn’t go first?”  
  
“Don’t leaders have guards?”  
  
“I suppose that would have to be me, then.”  
  
Vanellope eyed Ralph critically, rubbing her chin in thought. "I can see the potential. But if you expect to be my guard-chump, I’m gonna need you to get yourself a suit. Definitely in black. And some shoes for your stinky toes.”  
  
Ralph smirked at her. “Next time, kid. You ready?”  
  
“I guess I’ve gotta be, huh?” Vanellope sucked in a deep breath. She clenched and unclenched her fists, closed her eyes...and took a step forward. Then another. And another. Soon, the ground under her feet shifted from a sugar coating to a less stable base of woven wires...and her eyes flew open. She whipped her head around to stare at Ralph, bewildered. “...I’m out?”  
  
“You’re out, kid,” Ralph smiled, releasing a breath he hadn’t been aware of holding. Half a step forward and he was side by side with Vanellope again, offering her his hand. “Ready?”  
  
“You betcha,” she answered, proudly stepping into the unknown with her best bodyguard by her side. Together they would see all kinds of amazing things! Fighters and pilots and knights and adventurers and all the excitement of life she’d only seen through brief glimpses at Sugar Rush’s window to the outside world.  It was a long walk down the exit plug to the station, but to Vanellope it might as well have been a second. She didn’t care how far she had to come, she had to see what was out there!  
  
\---  
  
It took Ralph several stressful minutes to relocate with Vanellope upon their arrival at the station. With a whoop and a holler, she had immediately taken off without him at the first sight of something interesting. He looked high and low, left and right, up and down and all around and even under the benches, but if there was one thing that kid was good at other than racing? It was disappearing.  
  
But Ralph knew she’d come find him before long, so he leaned against a highly visible post and waited. Sure enough, Vanellope soon arrived...but she was accompanied by a perplexed looking Sergeant Calhoun, and something about that woman’s scowl told Ralph he was in big trouble.  
  
“Wreck-it!” Calhoun barked upon sight. “President von Schweetz tells me you’re her escort for today. Is that true?”  
  
“Yes ma’am,” Ralph answered.  
  
“In that case, would you care to explain to the class why you left her alone like a loose goose stuffed with an airhead?”  
  
“But she ran ahead---”  
  
“And? It’s your job to run with her, Mr. Escort! Do you know where I found her? Just outside Hero’s Duty.”  
  
That earned a soft snicker from Vanellope and a worried gasp from Ralph. “Vanellope! You know you can’t go in there. Those Cybugs could’ve had us all for lunch! And they almost did!”  
  
“Oh, relax. I’m not a dummy. I was just saluting the protectors of our most dangerous game,” Vanellope explained a little too innocently, folding her hands behind her back and giving Ralph her most wining smile.  
  
Calhoun snorted, shaking her head. Unbelievable. “Her exact words were ‘I commend you, officers of the foul scent, for answering the call of nature’s duty.’”  
  
That earned another round of snickers from Vanellope...and Ralph, much to Calhoun’s dismay.  
  
“I, uh, I assure you she meant no disrespect to you and your troops, Sergeant,” Ralph said after a cough, finally pulling himself back together.  
  
“Yeah, no way!” Vanellope added, clearly catching on. “Everybody’s all about doing their duty in Sugar Rush. And you do it better than anyone else!” Somehow, she said that with a believable straight face.  
  
At the sigh of that, Calhoun had no choice but to relent. “All right,” she sighed. “But you might want to tell my troops before you start us off with a diplomatic incident. And let me know if you see Fix-it,” she asked. “We...uh, we have business to discuss.”  
  
“We’ll find your boyfriend for ya,” Vanellope promised nonchalantly, but her face crinkled into an exaggerated pucker as soon as the Sarge was out of sight. “Plenty of time for kissy face.”  
  
“Don’t remind me,” Ralph laughed, gently plopping Vanellope on his shoulder. She went without complaint now, enjoying the vantage point of this new frontier. Boy, wow. From here she could see bears with swords, floofy princesses, baseball players, zombies, boxers, and...wow, there was a blue thing zipping through faster than she could see!  
  
Whatever it was, it didn’t seem inclined to stop and chat. She’d have to catch it later. For now, though, she simply admired the view: open windows, light everywhere, and the hustle and bustle of characters from all kinds of places.  She smiled and waved at each one, happily sucking a few tiny lemon drops along the way. Gotta keep that pucker going.  
  
One gathering of characters seized her attention, though. Vanellope peered over Ralph’s shoulder to see a little family of colorful creatures gathered around a few signs of cardboard. There was a little tin in front of them, filled with a few stray bits of food. Were they...? She slid down Ralph’s arm to read the sign.  
  
‘Game unplugged, please help.’  
  
“Ralph...” Vanellope whispered, gently tugging on his shoulder strap to urge him to stop.  
  
He did---but it seemed he was prepared to stop anyway, for he was rooting around in his pockets for one of the snack bags. He placed a few whole chocolate bars and a cupcake in front of the group, a sad smile on his face. “Got stuff from a new place this time. Sugar Rush,” he said, watching as Q*bert sniffled up to the tin for a test nibble. When he approved with the strangest chirp of happiness Vanellope had ever heard, the others happily joined in.  
  
Ah, this much Vanellope understood. In seconds, she was dumping the rest of her bag of lemon drops in as well. “Eat up! I’m guessing you don’t get to stuff yourselves too much. But it’s okay---you can go nuts this time! And speaking of nuts, try the almond bars. My game’s got nothing but food, there’s always more where that came from!”  
  
\---  
  
Some time later, Ralph and Vanellope were perched on stools at Tapper's. At first, she'd eagerly downed her first root beer float, giving herself a nice fizzy moustache and making faces at Ralph. It was the most he'd ever laughed while he was here. But after a while, Vanellope was rather uncharacteristically silent. She only blew the occasional bubble into her drink, contemplating the fizziness. So Ralph found himself a little startled when she spoke again.  
  
“Hey, Ralph? I’ve been thinking.”  
  
“Yeah?” he asked, casually wiping his own ice cream and fizz moustache away.  
  
“You know those guys from the unplugged game? Who we gave the food to?”  
  
“Q*bert and the gang? Yeah, I know them. They’ve been around as long as I have. Feels like yesterday we were right across the arcade from each other...but then they went out of order.”  
  
 “So they’re just stuck here forever?” Vanellope asked, flopping back and crossing her arms. That...really didn’t sound any better than the situation she’d just come from. It sounded terrible, actually. No game to go home to, just hanging in the station with a few food scraps and not even a bed to wrap up in at night.  
  
“Yeah. Without a game, they’re kinda stuck,” Ralph sighed. It was a sad situation.  
  
But Vanellope wasn't about to give up this line of thinking so easily. “So...they’ve still got their code telling them to do something, right?”  
  
“Yeah, I guess so. They were puzzle guys. Q*bert used to hop all around his home game, trying to light up his little pyramid while the other guys chased him,” Ralph recalled quietly.  
  
“So...that means they’re just like me.” Vanellope pointed out. “Stuck in a dump, no place to call home. And they know they were made to do something but they can’t do it.”  
  
“...yeah. And like me. Stuck in the garbage, forgotten about...” he winced. Thirty years of bad memories---improving now, but that time wasn't about to go away.  
  
“But you know? That’s not us anymore,” Vanellope went on. “We’ve got each other and our games are awesome now. We’ve got homes, we're doing okay! And it’s totally unfair that they don’t. Those guys seem pretty cool, you know? And they talk funny,” Vanellope laughed, stretching and twisting her voice into an attempted impression of Q*bertese.  
  
Ralph had to crack a smile at that...but that seriously got his gears turning. His expression became thoughtful as he drummed his finger against the armrest. “What if we could? Give them a home, I mean.”  
  
Vanellope sat a little straighter. She'd been thinking the same, but there were still the little problems she'd been told about. “How? You know those rules on the sign outside, right? If you die outside your game you’re gone forever. And you could make a big mess of things, like Turbo,” Vanellope sighed, flopping against Ralph's arm.  
  
“Hey, you know what? Turbo did it. As evil and horrible as he was, he managed to stay in Sugar Rush for how many years? And he fixed the code, too. So the machine didn't go out of order or anything. I’m sure we could get Q*bert in somewhere...”  
  
“I don't really see them as racers, though. They don't even have hands for the steering wheel!"  
  
"...yeah, they might not be the best fit for Sugar Rush,” Ralph agreed. “I was thinking more that the guys could help Felix and me. But speaking of Felix, he’s the only one around here who speaks Q*bertese. Why don't we go grab him and ask?”  
  
\---  
  
Crumbling under the combined pleading efforts of Vanellope and Ralph, Felix was easily convinced to make the case to the Nicelanders for allowing Q*bert and pals to join their game. They were easily convinced to lend a helping hand as well, and the Q*bert gang was ecstatic at the idea of having a new home game,  so a few nights and some careful recoding later, all was set for the big move-in day.  
  
Vanellope had set up an enormous dessert buffet of pies, cakes, and special treats from all across their games. Calhoun had lent her assistance in directing the new residents to their homes in a neat and orderly fashion, Ralph and Felix worked on the construction of these things, and all in all the event was a success. After a quick coaching and practice session with Ralph and Felix, the new Nicelanders finally settle into their homes, feeling confident about the opening the next day.  
  
Finally, it was nearing arcade opening time. Felix and Calhoun disappeared around the riverbend for their bizarre ritual of goodbyes, leaving Vanellope and Ralph to wander the place for the last hour or so. Vanellope thought maybe they’d go to the train station and spend a little time there, but instead Ralph seemed insistent on leading her back over to East Niceland.  
  
“We’ve been through all the houses, Ralph. They're fine! I don’t even speak Q*bertese and I can tell they’re happy,” Vanellope said matter-of-factly, perhaps a little exasperated with Ralph’s sudden attack of perfectionism by now. "One little wobbly brick isn't gonna spoil it."  
  
“There's one we haven't been through,” Ralph corrected her gently, pointing to a tiny house on the very end of the main street. Huh. She hadn’t noticed that one before. It didn’t look too different from the others on the outside, but Ralph seemed awfully excited about it for some reason, if the stomping of his feet as he hustled was any indicator.  
  
Vanellope was now the one racing to catch up to him. “Hey, what’s the big deal? Did we forget someone?”  
  
“Not exactly. Here, you go ahead,” Ralph insisted, ushering her into the doorway with his hands. Vanellope grumbled, but obeyed...but when she entered, her expression shifted from annoyance to shock.  
  
Everything about this home was different from the others they'd worked on. Unlike the homey reds and browns that made up the other new homes, these walls were adorned with green and white racing stripes. Silver little chairs and a cozy couch with blankets piled on it completed the first room...and a quick dash up to the bedroom revealed a simple bed covered in dark green. The finishing touch, though, was the carved name at the top of the wooden headboard. ‘Vanellope’ appeared in messy scrawl, marking this whole place as...hers?  
  
“Ralph what’s all this for?” Vanellope asked.  
  
“It’s for you. I thought that was obvious,” Ralph shrugged.  
  
“Huh? But I’ve got a home now, remember?” Okay, so maybe she still loved her little secret base on Diet Cola Mountain. But having a whole castle to yourself was pretty cool.  
  
“Yeah, I know, but...you’ve still got that castle wing for me, right? I thought I could keep something here for you too. You know, in case you ever want to spend the night.”  
  
Did she? Oh boy, did she! After those bites of pie and the rounds meeting the neighbors, she definitely wanted a piece of the action here. And honestly, looking at this little place...she liked it a lot. It was nicer than a dump and some candy wrappers , but not so nice that it felt stuffy. Just right. “Well I’m definitely glad it’s not all pink. The castle's okay, I guess, but I just got through reworking the castle. I had to mix it up a little, fit the rest of the rainbow in.”  
  
“Nah, don’t worry. Racing stripes, white and green. Thought you might like that.”  
  
“It’s perfect,” Vanellope grinned, taking the opportunity to bounce on the bed once or twice for good measure. Ah, how she’d always wanted to do that. “And Ralph?”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
One last perfectly calculated bounce sent Vanellope crashing into Ralph’s shoulder, where she immediately seized his neck in a hug. “Thanks.”  
  
Ralph curled his hand around her with a smile. “Any time. Just...don't come pounding on my door at four in the morning. I need my beauty rest.”  
  
"I'll say!"  
  
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."  
  
Vanellope stuck her tongue out at her nemesis, though the gesture gave way to a yawn almost immediately. Not that she was tired or anything! But... "...you know? Maybe this bed needs a presidential inspection," she whispered, dropping back down to the bed and pushing back the covers experimentally.  
  
Ralph couldn't help but smile. He shuffled about to make sure everything was in place while she settled, then stooped low to tuck her in. "Is the bed up to snuff?"  
  
"Sure. It's...okay, I guess. Probably up to a good pounding," Vanellope breathed, a little sleepier-sounding than before. "It'll do."  
  
Ralph watched for a few moments as Vanellope twisted this way and that, seemingly determined to find an uncomfortable spot...but there was none. He and Felix had done good. "So...I'll take you back to Sugar Rush before opening?"  
  
"...yeah. g'night, Ralphie", Vanellope murmured into her pillow. Wouldn't be long before she was out for the night.  
  
"Good nigh, kid," Ralph ruffled her hair one last time with a finger, then slowly eased his way to the door. He lingered in the doorway until he heard a wheezing snore, then reached for the light switch. "Sweet dreams."

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Yuletide!
> 
> I really enjoyed revisiting this movie. Ralph and Vanellope have something special, and it was great fun trying to capture that. I hope it's all right---and that you have a fantastic yuletide season.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
